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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25717582">TIme to Choose</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Megchad22/pseuds/Megchad22'>Megchad22</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Umbrella Academy (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Hargreeves Issues, M/M, Mentions of Suicide, Temporary Character Death, it needs its own tag, mentions of drug use, the mausoleum</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 10:34:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,322</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25717582</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Megchad22/pseuds/Megchad22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Not Season 2 compliant. Five brought them back to their childhood. He brought them back to their abuser. He brought them back...to choose.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ben Hargreeves &amp; Klaus Hargreeves, Dave/Klaus Hargreeves, Klaus Hargreeves &amp; God, Klaus Hargreeves &amp; Vanya Hargreeves</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>276</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>TIme to Choose</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The first time Klaus was pushed into the Mausoleum after the return to their childhood, there was a part of him that hoped his siblings would rescue him. It was a vague thing, an undefined pulse deep in his mind. The three days in the darkness were enough to douse even that small hope. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Not even Ben knew about his special training after all. By the time Ben had died Klaus had been too high for any training. And there were some secrets that Klaus held so deep that they could not spill accidentally.  They had to be pried out, gently to keep from tearing Klaus apart, over time. There had been only one group of people who had cared enough to pry apart Klaus’s masks and reach the festering wounds beneath.  It was not his siblings. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>God above he missed Vietnam. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When he had been allowed to leave the site of his earliest night terrors, there had barely been enough time to wash up before breakfast.  His siblings had been shades of worried and relieved when he appeared, hidden enough so that Hargreeves would not notice. There was just enough disappointment layered like an oily film over most of them to realize what they assumed. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Relapse. The word practically hovered over Luther’s head. It dripped from Allison’s eyes. It blinked in and out of focus on Diego’s face.  Vanya looked conflicted. Five looked calculating.  Ben took one look at him and nodded once, satisfied.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>For a moment Klaus considered being hurt that while he was being accosted by the things in the Mausoleum they thought he was going on a three day bender. But he had promised all of them to get clean too many times, only to steal what he needed for his next fix.  It was a realistic belief, though he wonders why they would ever think that Reginald Hargreeves would be covering for him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The only one of them he never stole from was Ben. By the time he was stealing from anyone but Reginald, his brother had been dead.  His ghostly brother had been subjected to much worse, having to watch his poor life choices. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Absently Klaus watched as Ben headed off each sibling in turn, likely telling them that Klaus was not showing any signs of being high or hung over. After that none of them questioned where Klaus had been.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was telling that his determination to see Dave again pushed him forward passed his need to silence the screaming voices. There was a part of him that felt guilty. Giving Ben a connection to the world that wasn’t Klaus had not been enough. His promises to his siblings had not been enough. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Seeing Dave was enough. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The second time was worse than the first. Sobriety leaked into his powers, causing the things in the Mausoleum to become corporeal. Just fractions of a second at a time. Not enough to do lasting damage, but enough to cause pain.  Enough to cause scratches along his arms and legs.  His energy drained enough to be sluggish in group training.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But not enough that anyone noticed. Not even Ben.  Sure there were a few frowns when Klaus did not dodge quickly enough but no one asked. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They were all distracted. Klaus got it, he really did. They were trying to train Vanya, hide her growing powers from a paranoid old man who was recording every aspect of their lives. They were facing their own specialized training all over again, with all the associated trauma.  They were adults, used to making their own little choices, now having everything dictated again; even Luther had gotten used to just a hint more freedom than they now have. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus thinks, he hopes, that if he were to tell them what was going on they would stop it.  That Five would calculate how to stop it without breaking anything. Diego would curse and stutter through some phrase to make Klaus feel better, but would be slightly insensitive. Luther would rage, feel betrayal all over again. Allison would comfort them all with tight eyes. Ben would hang back until he was sure he could keep the Horror inside. Vanya would hug him with big eyes and glowing skin.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He doesn’t tell them. Maybe he wants to be asked. Maybe he is afraid. Because What if?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>What if Five told him that he wasn’t worth disrupting the timeline. What if Diego turned away? Ben would look at him with helpless eyes and shrug. Luther would tell him to stop being weak. Allison could tell him to stop being selfish. Little Vanya could look at him with big eyes and tell him that they all had problems</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>No best that he does not tempt fate. If he told his siblings what was going on and told him he was not worth changing things. That they did not care enough about him to stop this torture.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Well, little girl god or not Klaus would find a way to stay dead. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The third time Klaus was prepared. There were no cameras in the Mausoleum, from the water bottles he would be in there for another three days. That was plenty of time.  The walls began to close in and the screams echoed higher and higher. Klaus pulled out the item he had managed to buy after stealing from Hargreeves. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A gun with a single shot. Even the horrifying dead grew still when he pressed the muzzle to his temple and depressed the trigger. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>He was back in the black and white world. It was quiet. Klaus could feel the tension seep out of him. As he stood he realized he was back in his adult body. </strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>The little girl came back up the path, still peddling on her bike. She peered at him, “You’re still not supposed to be here.”</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Klaus nodded “I know. I’ll go back. I just. I just needed a little bit of quiet.”</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>The girl’s face twitched. She sighed, “I still don’t like you but I think I like him even less. You can’t do this again, even to get quiet.”</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Klaus twitched, “Preemptively kicked out of heaven. That’s got to be a first.”</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>The girl rolled her eyes, “You are a dumbass. You’re not meant to be here and you being here is hurting you.”</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>“Really?”</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>The girl raised an eyebrow at him, “Really. Mortals are like ants to me. All of you. I can barely see any of you and when I do focus on one it’s like putting a magnifying glass between that ant and the sun.”</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Klaus nodded, “So I am essentially being scorched.”</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>“YES! Left too long and you’re going to be fucked. Now you have to leave.”</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Klaus spread his hands, waving the one that said goodbye “Thank you for the few moments of peace then.”</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>“Oh, and Klaus”</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>“Yes?”</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>“You and your sister need to choose well.”</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>“Choose, what..?”</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>“Can’t tell you, but your choice is coming up. Now leave.”</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>The mortal faded and the little girl sighed, she was just about to start pedaling again when she felt another presence push into her realm. She let the illusion of humanity fall from her realm, welcoming the presence. </strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong> “The Choice is closing in, then, little sister?” The being rumbled. </strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>“You know it is.”</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>“You don’t have to watch this close, you know. They never Choose correctly.”</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>The girl let disagreement flow out of her, “These ones are different. They feel different.”</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>She could feel the pity of the being, “We all think that about our first Choice, little sister. I thought that about you.”</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Her being flinched, “I’m sorry to disappoint you.”</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>The being waved it away with a tendril of light, “It wasn’t disappointment. I was warned, like I’m warning you. One day you will be in my place them. No makes the correct Choice.”</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>The girl gave the closest equivalent of a shrug that she could, “Then you understand why I have to watch.”</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>“Understand. Oh yes, but sometimes traditions need to be upheld.”</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Klasu woke to silence. The ghosts of the Mausoleum were watching him, but none were screaming. In fact they were looking a hair more human than he had ever seen. Klaus got the sense that he had finally shocked them out of their own torment. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It wouldn’t last. Klaus knew that and was proven right when the screams started back up almost as soon as he had finished washing the blood and brains from his hair, using one of his water bottles.  They were quieter though, less demanding.  And they did not follow him once he was released.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Thank god for small favors. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He arrived back at the Academy to find the others trying to help Vanya with her control. He could practically see the frustration rising out of all of them. A flash of inspiration jumped through his nerves. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He strode into the small room, interrupting Five trying to explain the math behind Vany’s power.  The others were standing back, apparently believing this was a valuable bonding tool. All of them had been lectured by Five at one time or another by how their powers should work mathematically. Not a single one of their powers acted like Five’s math said they should.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>In the sudden silence, Klaus grabbed Vanya’s wrist and pulled her from the room. Tossing a quick “We’ll be right back” over his shoulder.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They managed to get through the attic door before their siblings crowded out of the room they had been in. Klaus wasn’t sure why Five wasn’t portaling ahead of them, but did not question it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Just before the door closed, Klaus looked back at his stunned siblings and chirped, “Sorry, Occupancy of this room has been reached.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Vanya was still looking a bit shell shocked, but was starting to regain her foot even as she allowed herself to be ushered into a sitting position. “Klaus. What was that?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus waved his hands carelessly.  “Oh , you know I just thought it was time for a chat.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Vanya raised an eyebrow, “About…?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What else, darling? Your powers. It’s all anyone is talking about.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Vanya waved her hand in a clear imitation of Klaus. He was so proud. “You’re finally ready to weigh in.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus shrugged. “After a fashion. Listen,” he let his face and voice become serious. “These are your powers. It’s about you. Not Five apocalypse prep. Not Luther or Allison’s need for redemption. Not Diego’s attempts to redeem you. Not Ben’s new livelihood or my numerous issues.Your powers are yours. You have to choose what you want.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Vanya looked at Klaus, there was something about his words that echoed strangely. “What choice is there? We have to stop the end of the world.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The Seance snorted, “Darling, we don’t have to do shit about the end of the world if you don’t want.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s the right thing to do” Vanya protested, though she realized after her voice was weaker than she would like. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus raised an eyebrow “If you were worried about the right thing, you’d be looking for a way to make your pills permanent.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Vanya jerked as if struck, “What?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“If all that mattered was doing the right thing, you would be looking to find a way to take away your powers not control them. The first thing to do, darling, is to be honest with yourself. Even if you never are with anyone else.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She should have been getting angry, defensive. Every other attempt to bring up her medication ended with a barely avoided explosion. Somehow his words struck differently. “I want to control my powers, even if I decide to end the world at a later date at least it will be me instead of an accident.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus laughed, a short sharp bark. “Fair enough. Then I have one last question for you. Life or Death?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Vanya blinked at the non sequitur, “Why would you ask me that?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There was something sharp and wild in Klaus' face. Something that made him quite different from her brother.  “Because you are the only one who can hear the whole question.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He was right, there was something reverberating in the question. She looked inward, closing her eyes to a flash of blue.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>XXXXXXXXXXXX</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It took them ten minutes to convince Ben to let them through. He had even threatened Five to keep him from portaling into the room. After 10 minutes Ben tilted his head as if listening to something. This was enough for Five to portal. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ben sighed but opened the door.  Five was already there, staring at Klaus and Vanya. Who were both glowing with closed eyes. Fuck. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Five jolted as Ben came to stand next to him. The time traveler then started forward, intent on catching his siblings’ attention. Ben’s hand shot out to catch his wrist, “Don’t” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Glowing is not good, Ben. We need to stop them.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ben turned to face him fully and Five felt a wave of fear at the sight of his solid black eyes, “The Choice has begun. This cannot be stopped. Watch.” Then the younger boy turned back to watch their glowing siblings. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Vanya felt herself drift inward, searching for something. She could feel something pulling her deeper inward until she reached a beautiful ball of light, calling to her. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She could hear it, whispering to her. The light promised her she was special. It would help her prove to her siblings that she was special and powerful. She would stand above them as the best. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Vany almost reached forward, almost taking what the beautiful light had to offer. But she didn’t want to be the best. That was never what she wanted power for. She wanted to belong. She wanted to be part of her sibling, not stand above them. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Almost like the light could sense her hand pulling away, the whispers changed. Now the light said that it could help her protect her siblings.  She could stand above them as a shield. It could make her their hero. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Only now the words felt different. The light seemed less beautiful.  Somehow it reminded her of Leonard, something wrong about what it was saying. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She pulled her hand away, shaking her head. She took a step away. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The light could not offer the only thing she truly wanted. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Her family.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>In the monochrome realm the little girl leaned forward eagerly.  The being with her did as well, shock rocking through it </strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>“There is still one more.” it muttered. </strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>The girl smiled at it, possibly bigger than she had before, “If one can. The other can as well.”</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>“The Choice isn’t done until their Choices match.” The being warns, “Once he chooses, She will go back on it. No one ever Chooses correctly in the end”</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>The girl remained silent. There was still one left. </strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Klaus fell into a whirlwind of sound, the screams of the damned. He pelted through the sound, drawn by something deep inside. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>There was a while light, as he grew closer the screams grew fainter. Standing just before the light, he could barely hear the normal shrieking. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The light spoke to him. Told him that it could help him control his powers. He would get silence, never have to deal with ghosts again. It could help him. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>It was tempting, Klaus could very much admit it was tempting. But silence would mean never hearing Dave again.  And Klaus would spend every day for the rest of his life in the Mausoleum for a few minutes with Dave. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The light did not even have the opportunity to change its tactics before Klaus rejected it’s promises. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ben or the thing that was wearing Ben, leaned forward. His face was mobile with interest. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Before anything else could happen a very unwelcome voice sounded, “Just what is going on here?” Reginald Hargreeves asked archly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He stepped forward and caught sight of the two glowing siblings. His face became a mask of anger. His cane raised as if to strike one of them. As he stepped forward a hand shot out to grip the cane. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Number Six what is the meaning of this?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Solid black eyes took on a malevolent shine, “The Choice. You’re too late, Poisoner.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As one Vanya and Klaus spoke, “We Choose life.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The glow in their skin expanded outwards, swirling around them all. Five looked around to realize he and his siblings were abruptly aged to what they should have been in 2019.  Then he realized that Reginald was still there, and still furious. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>In a monochrome world, colors like shock were streaking through the realm. The little girl and the being by her side were both practically speechless. As much faith as she had, the little girl didn’t truly believe. </strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>The being was almost physical now, shock slowing its vibrations until it actually entered a plane of existence. “They Chose. They made the right choice.”</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>The little girl nodded absently as she pulled a soul from where it passed on. It was still whole and had been waiting for quite some time. She kept it unconscious, no need to drive the poor thing insane. </strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>The being regarded the soul with curiosity. “What’s that?”</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>“This is little brother’s soul match.  He’s been looking for him. Having him back would be little brother’s greatest wish.”</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>“And little sister?”</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>“She has not met her soul match just yet, her greatest wish is to have her family. Would you be willing to anchor me?”</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>The being seemed thrilled to be asked, “Of course, it would give me a chance to take a look at this brand new world.”</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>The little girl grinned and grabbed the soul. </strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus and Vanya turned to see their siblings and Reginald staring at them. Their siblings faces ranged from concerned to confused, to Ben’s black eyed curiosity. Reginald was a rictus of fury. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ben was still leaning forward as if to see better when there were suddenly two more people in the room. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The first was a little girl in greyscale. Though her skin, eyes and hair were all shades of grey that were jarring even against the muted colors of the attic her clothes were even moreso. Her clothes were grey, for the most part. Finger paint lines of color stood against the grey. She took in the room curiously.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The second was a man in military fatigues decades out of date. He was in full color but appeared to be in some kind of trance. Klaus gasped at the sight of him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The little girl smiled at Klaus and Vanya, “Little brother, little sister” she greeted far more cheerfully than she had acted with Klaus in the past. Then she turned to Ben, “Watcher”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The Ben shaped creature nodded his head respectfully, “Creator”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus tilted his head, though the way his eyes kept flicking to the still soldier in the room showed every one that he may not have been truly paying attention  “I thought you couldn’t come this close to mortals, something about ants and magnifying glasses.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, you and little sister are acting as a bit of buffer for your family but I am also being anchored so that only a sliver of me is here. That way I don’t burn the planet up. I wanted to congratulate you both on your Choice.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Luther cleared his throat, “I’m sorry but what is going on.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You had to give it to the big lug, he did not shy away from trying to take charge. Even in absolutely ridiculous situations. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The little girl looked at him for just a moment before focusing her attention back at Vanya and Klaus. “The Choice happened. This is a special universe. Something new.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Luther puffed in indignation at being ignored but stopped when Ben shot him a look with ish pitch black eyes, “The Creator is sparing your life by not looking at you. The only ones who can stand her attention, small as it is right now, are the little Creators.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The little girl smiled in the direction of Ben, “Thank you Watcher.” Her attention turned back to Vanya and Klaus, “No one has ever Chosen life, even when we thought we were. We all reached for the power only to learn what that power means too late.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Vanya shot a look to her siblings then back to the little girl, “What does it mean, the choice?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“The Choice,” The little girl put a slight emphasis to show the capitalization, “is older than this universe, older than most universes. It is when a Creator either chooses to take their power or let it go.You two are the first who Chose to let the power go.If the full attention of a Creator is akin to a magnifying glass on an ant, imagine what the first explosion of power. It is uncontrolled and devastating.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Five caught his breath, world wide devastation playing before his eyes. A wave of power blowing up the moon. The apocalypse. Ash clinging to his skin and dead bodies all over. That was because his siblings Chose.  “Are there others?” he croaked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The little girl didn’t look at him as she shook her head, “No. Not in this universe. 43 humans were born with the potential. It takes the long term repression and rejection of that potential to push into the power of a Creator. No one else survived being divorced from their potential for that long.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Vanya was looking at the little girl, her eyes shadowed “You Chose as well?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The little girl nodded, “The light promised to make me powerful, so I would never be afraid again. I thought that meant I would be strong enough to protect my sister from our abuser, make sure she didn’t get hurt any more.” The little girl grimaced, “technically true. The dead don’t hurt like the living.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was then that Reginald made himself known. Previously he had been held in place and silent by the power that had sloughed off of two of his adoptive children. He could hear and was making plans. It was clear that Four and Seven were much more useful than he previously thought. “We shall have to determine if this has included any new abilities. Come along Four, Seven.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Eight sets of eyes snapped to him. He began to feel strange when one of those sets did not look away immediately. Then the hallucinations began. Reginald would have screamed if the air in his lungs were not suddenly solid.  From the outside looking in, Reginald began to disintegrate for just a moment before the little girl's eyes snapped away again. Even as he became solid, he looked a little strange along the edges. It was more than a little horrifying to see that his eyes were smoking.  The little girl might have looked away but Reginald remained unable to move. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Ooops” the little girl muttered, then shrugged. “I didn’t mean to break his mind but I suppose he doesn't need it for what I need him for. Just glad I didn’t make him pop too.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Someone, possibly Diego muttered “What the fuck.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The little girl ignored him, ”I suppose you're wondering about the Soul next to me.” She half asked Klaus.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus, whose eyes had barley strayed from Dave since the moment he arrived, whispered a reverent, “Dave.” Then he frowned, “I won’t hurt him, right?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Vanya's eyes shot over to her brother, then widened in realization. She curled slightly to keep from looking at any of their siblings. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The little girl shook her head, “No, it is the power bound to a full fledged creator that scorches mortals. You both rejected that power so you should be safe.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Vanya’s eyebrow raised, “Should?” She whispered. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The little girl shrugged again, “No one has ever rejected the power. You two may still get a power boost from what happened. Your loved ones are safe” she reassured when Vanya grew pale, “I can feel you buffering them from me, so your power will definitely protect them. I’m not sure if there will be any effects on strangers, though. ”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus nodded, “Why is Dave not waking up?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I thought it best to keep him unconscious until it was time. So that I didn’t accidentally break him before I could give him to you.”  She shot a smile at Vanya, “You haven’t met your soul match yet, little sister, and your heart wish was your family or I would have brought someone for you as well.” The little girl looked over at Reginald, never focusing on him directly. Somehow her smile turned sinister. “A life for a life, poisoner. To give little brother his gift, I am in need of a life to take. Your’s will suffice.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She stepped forward and plunged her hand into Reginald’s chest in what had to be the least gory way possible. The cloth and skin began to dissolve around her hand. In minutes Reginald crumbled into something resembling dust. Dave began to breath and stir. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The little girl turned toward Ben, “Do you intend to remain, Watcher?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The thing wearing Ben’s face considered it, “We will. We have already removed the time limit from this Host’s body. We are also working on a better translation matrix so that the Host understands our intentions better. Humans are strange creatures, it is quite fascinating.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The little girl huffed a small laugh, “May your observations bring wisdom.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Just before the girl vanished, Ben spoke again “Creator?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The girl did not turn back, “Yes, Watcher.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>For the first time, the thing wearing Ben’s face seemed hesitant. “The previous Host. The one who shared your blood, she did not blame you. We could tell that much.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The little girl tensed and then vanished without another word. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ben’s eyes faded to their usual color and he looked slightly dazed, “That was a trip.” he muttered. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So I adore Klaus, and his relationship with Dave makes me smile. And I love reading the 'family figure out they were assholes to Klaus and beg forgiveness' but realistically they are all fucked up, including Klaus.  Like put in any one of their shoes I am not sure I would believe Klaus was clean either.  We see, in the first interaction between Klaus and Allison, Klaus out and out lie about being clean after he steals items to pawn for drug. And not a single one of them is surprised. This tell me that it was not the first time.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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